The present invention relates to arch or foot supports for insertion in footwear in order to provide better comfort and more correct positioning and support of the wearer's feet.
Many individuals who are on their feet or walking for significant periods of time encounter the problems of pain and sore feet usually associated with uncomfortable footwear. Such problems often arise as a result of insufficient arch support in conventional shoes and other footwear. Thus, various types of shoe inserts have been devised in order to alleviate such problems. Some inserts consist only of a foam or padded cushion member or insole, and provide no arch support. It is also known to provide more sophisticated arch supports formed of molded rigid or semi-rigid materials, such as plastic, and these are sometimes custom-fitted to the individual, which makes them relatively expensive. Also, the rigid nature of such arch supports can itself lead to some discomfort. In some cases, a leather upper layer is applied to the top surface of the arch support, but this device may still not be particularly comfortable in some cases. A layered arch support device is also known which has a lower, rigid plastic layer, a second or core layer of foam material, and an upper leather layer. However, this becomes fairly thick and bulky at the toe and may cause problems in inserting the foot into the shoe.